Dispenser

ABSTRACT

A DISPENSER ADAPTED TO DISPENSE TABLETS OR THE LIKE HELD IN INDIVIDUAL BLISTERS ON A TABLET SUPPLY ELEMENT COMPRISES A TABLET SUPPLY ELEMENT, A CARRIER PLATES AND A RETAINER PLATE FOR SAID ELEMENT, BOTH PROVIDED WITH A PLURALITY OF ALIGNED APERTURES, INDEXING MEANS ALONG ONE EDGE OF THE CARRIER PLATE, AND A COVER MEANS ADAPTED TO CLOSE OVER SAID CARRIER PLATE.

United States Patent [72] Inventors Larry L. Fites;

Major C. Truckenmiller, Kalamazoo, Mich. [21] Appl. No. 845,735 [22] Filed July 29, 1969 [45] Patented June 28, 1971 [73] Assignee The Upjohn Company Kalamazoo, Mich.

[541 DISPENSER 9 Claims, 7 Drawing Figs.

[52] U.S.Cl [16/121, 206/42 [51] lnt.Cl G09f9/00 [50] Field ofSearch 116/121, 130,131,133;40/107,111;206/42;221/8,5; 16/(lnquired); 21/(lnquired); 235/87 [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 364,623 6/1887 Beidler 206/42 1,161,685 11/1915 James... 235/87 Hillyard 40/ l 1 1 11/1931 Wagner et al.... 40/107 4/1957 Edwards 40/107 7/1957 Gleeson.... 116/133 8/1964 Wagner 206/42 6/1967 Jordt 206/42 8/1968 Hartman, Jr. et a1. 116/121 9/1968 Barton et a1. 221/8 FOREIGN PATENTS 1/1968 Great Britain 206/42 Primary ExaminerLouis J. Capozi Attorneys-Eugene O. Retter and John Kekich ABSTRACT: A dispenser adapted to dispense tablets or the like held in individual blisters on a tablet supply element comprises a tablet supply element, a carrier plate and a retainer plate for said element, both provided with a plurality of aligned apertures, indexing means along one edge of the carrier plate, and a cover means adapted to close over said carrier plate.

PATmEnduuzs 3587517 SHEET 1 0F 3 BY I A TORNE Y PATENTEU JUN28 I97! SHEET 2 OF 3 INVENTORS KENMILLER ATT RNEY 3 DISPENSER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Medicaments are increasingly presented to a patient in the form of a socalled blister package, that is, as a flat, relatively rigid tablet supply element having a plurality of erect, deformable blisters in a spaced relationship to each other, bearing a medicament tablet within each blister, and having a backing sheet of a frangible material which fonns a closure for the blisters and retains the tablets therein. Single medicament tablets are removed from the supply element by pressing downward upon an individual blister and deforming the same, thereby breaking the frangible backing sheet and expressing the medicament tablet therethrough.

In many instances it becomes necessary for a patient to take medication on a particular, predetermined schedule. The dispenser of this invention is particularly adapted for such use and provides means whereby medication can be expeditiously dispensed by a patient on a desired schedule and at the same time providing an automatic record of the times the medication was taken.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The dispenser of this invention comprises a blister-type tablet supply element, a carrier plate for said supply element, a retainer plate adapted to hold said supply element in position vis-a-vis the carrier plate, an indexing means along one edge of the carrier plate, and a cover means adapted to close over said carrier plate.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the drawings, FIG. 1 represents an isometric view of the dispenser of this invention.

FIG. 2 represents an isometric view of the carrier plate provided with indexing means along one edge thereof.

FIG. 3 represents a sectional elevation of the carrier plate along the line Ill-111 shown in FIG. 2.

FIG. 4 represents an isometric view of the retainer plate.

FIG. 5 represents an isometric view of a cylindrical hinge pin bearing calendar markings thereon.

FIG. 6 represents a cover means over the carrier plate.

FIG. 7 represents a sectional elevation of the dispenser shown in FIG. 1 along the line VII-VII.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to FIG. I, a dispenser 10 comprises a carrier plate 11 provided with a series of apertures 12 and adapted to receive and hold a tablet supply element 13 (FIG. 7) of the blister type, containing tablets 33, so that the blister portions 14 thereof project through the apertures 12. The tablet supply element 13 is held in position within the dispenser 10 by means of a retainer plate 15 juxtaposed coextensive with the underside of the carrier plate 11 and slideably engaged therewith.

In the embodiment shown in FIG. 3, lugs 16 and I7 serve to hold the retainer plate IS in the desired position. The retainer plate 15 is also provided with a series of apertures 18 (FIG. 4) which align with the apertures I2 on the carrier plate 11 and which are adapted to pass a tablet contained within a given blister l4 therethrough when the tablet is pushed downwardly so as to break the frangible portion 34 of the tablet supply element 13.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 7, the carrier plate I1 is provided with an arcuate elongated wall portion along one longitudinal edge thereof forming a hinge portion 19. Openings 20 are situated in a spaced relationship to each other and aligned longitudinally along the hinge portion 19. The spacing of openings 20 is such that each one of them is aligned with an aperture 12 ora row of such apertures in the carrier plate 11, thereby indexing said apertures. A hinge knuckle 21 is situated at each end of hinge portion 19 and is adapted to receive a hinge pin 22 (FIG. 5).

The hinge pin 22 is substantially cylindrical and somewhat longer than the hinge portion 19. Around its periphery the hinge pin 22 bears calendar markings 23 which are arranged so as to be visible through openings 20 in the hinge portion 19 when pin 22 is in position. Additionally, around the periphery of the pin 22 are provided recesses 24, together forming a ratchet means, which are adapted to engage pawl or detent means 25 on the hinge portion 19 (FIG. 7) so as to keep the pin 22 in a predetennined position with a particular desired set of calendar markings 23 showing through the openings 20. A groove 34 around the periphery of pin 22 is adapted to engage lug 35 (FIG. 3) and prevents the lateral shift of pin 22. The position of the pin 22 and the markings 23 thereon can be adjusted by means of knob 27 which can be used to rotate pin 22 about its longitudinal axis. The knob 27 can be designed so as to be broken off after the initial adjustment to pin 22 is made, thereby avoiding the possibility of a subsequent accidental change in the set of calendar markings. 23.

The hinge assembly is completed by a pair of hinge portions such as hinge knuckle 25 (FIG. 6) situated at opposing ends of one longitudinal edge of cover means 26.

The cover means 26 pivots about the hinge pin 22 and extends over carrier plate 11 when in closed position. A conventional lug means on cover 26, not shown, is adapted to engage lug recess 28 on carrier plate 11 and serves to maintain cover 26 in a closed position.

Similarly, in the preferred embodiment of this invention, the retainer plate 15 is provided with an upwardly curved portion 29 (FIG. 4) equipped with a locking lug 30 which is adapted to engage with recess 31 (FIG. 7) on hinge portion 19 so as to lock retainer plate 15 in position. Rib 32 serves as a stop for cover 26 and also serves as-a grip for retainer plate 15 during loading and reloading. Ribs 32A and 32B are optional and can serve as additional grips. These ribs also can make the retainer plate 15 more rigid, if desiredor necessary.

Dispenser 10 is loaded by withdrawing retainer plate 15 therefrom and placing a tablet supply element 13 therein so that the blister portions 14 thereof project through apertures 12. Thereafter retainer plate 15 is slid in position under tablet supply element 13 and preferably locked in place. The desired calendar marking is then set adjacent to the first tablet to be dispensed, and dispenser 10 is ready for use. If it is contemplated that the same medicament administration schedule will be adhered to over a time period during which reloading of dispenser 10 will become necessary, knob 27 is broken off as soon as the desired calendar marking is set so as to avoid accidental rotation of pin 22 away from the desired position during use.

We claim:

l. A tablet dispenser comprising, in combination:

a planar tablet supply element and a plurality of tablets situated on said supply element in a predetermined pattern, said supply element having a frangible portion disposed adjacent one side of each of said tablets, and a deformable blister disposed adjacentand surrounding the other side of each of said tablets and secured to said supply element,. whereby the individual tablets are adapted to be removed by pressing against the blister so that the tablet is forced through the frangible portion;

a carrier plate disposed adjacent one side of said tablet supply element and having a plurality of apertures therein arranged in a pattern corresponding to the pattern of the tablets whereby the tablets and the respective surrounding blisters extend into said apertures;

wall means fixedly attached to said carrier plate adjacent one edge thereof, said wall means including an elongated wall portion having a lengthwise row of spaced openings therein, said wall means also including a hinge portion;

a retaining plate disposed adjacent the other side of said tablet supply element, said retaining plate being substantially coextensive with said carrier plate and having a plurality of apertures therein in alignment with the apertures in said carrier plate;

coacting means on said carrier plate and said retaining plate for releasably supporting said retaining plate on said carrier plate;

cover means supported at said hinge portion for movement into and out of a position adjacent said carrier plate on the side thereof opposite said retaining plate;

hinge pin means disposed adjacent to and extending along said one longitudinal edge of said carrier plate and connecting said hinge portion to said cover means for effecting pivotal movement of said cover means with respect to said carrier plate, said hinge pin means having a plurality of spaced calendar markings thereon and aligned lengthwise thereof, said markings being visible through the openings in said elongated wall portion.

2. The tablet dispenser according to claim 1, wherein said hinge portion has detent means mounted thereon, and said hinge pin has ratchet means thereon adapted for engagement with said detent means for nonrotatably maintaining said hinge pin in a selected position.

3. The tablet dispenser according to claim 1, wherein said coacting means includes flanges extending downwardly from opposite sides of said carrier plate beyond said tablet supply element, the free ends of said flanges being provided with inwardly directed lugs thereon, said lugs being spaced from said other side of said tablet supply element for permitting said retaining plate to be slidably supported on said lugs in the space between said lugs and said supply element, whereby said supply element is thus disposed between said carrier and said retaining plate in side-by-side relation.

4. The tablet retainer according to claim 1, wherein the wall portion attached to said carrier plate extends through an angle substantially less than 360, and said retaining plate has a curved edge portion, said curved edge portion being disposed directly adjacent said wall portion; and

locking means coacting between said curved edge portion and said wall portion for maintaining said retaining plate in juxtaposed relationship with said tablet support element and said carrier plate.

5. The tablet dispenser according to claim 1, wherein said hinge pin means has a plurality of circumferentially spaced, lengthwise rows of calendar markings thereon.

6. The tablet dispenser according to claim 5, further including knob means fixedly secured to one end of said hinge pin means for effecting selective rotation thereof, said knob means extending outwardly from one side of said carrier plate.

7. The tablet dispenser according to claim 1, wherein said elongated wall portion is arcuate and concentric with said pin means.

8. A tablet dispenser comprising, in combination:

a planar tablet supply element and a plurality of tablets situated on said supply element in a predetermined pattern, said supply element having a frangible portion disposed adjacent one side of each of said tablets, and a deformable blister disposed adjacent and surrounding the other side of each of said tablets and secured to said supply element, whereby the individual tablets are adapted to be removed by pressing against the blister so that the tablet is forced through the frangible portion;

a carrier plate disposed adjacent one side of said tablet supply-element and having a plurality of apertures therein arranged in a pattern corresponding to the pattern of the tablets whereby the tablets and the respective surrounding blisters extend into said apertures;

an elongated hinge portion fixedly attached to and extending along one longitudinal edge of said carrier plate, said hinge portion having a lengthwise row of spaced openings therein;

a retaining plate disposed adjacent the other side of said tablet supply element, said retaining plate being substantially coextensive with said carrier plate and having a plurality of apertures therein in alignment with the apertures in said carrier plate; guide means fixedly connected to said carrier plate and coacting with said retaining plate for slidably supporting said retaining plate on said carrier plate; 7

cover means supported for movement into and out of a position adjacent said carrier plate on the side thereof opposite said retaining plate;

hinge means coacting between adjacent longitudinal edges of said cover means and said carrier plate for pivotally connecting said cover means to said carrier plate, said hinge means including a pair of hinge knuckles fixedly secured to said cover means and disposed adjacent the opposite ends of one longitudinal edge thereof, said hinge knuckles being disposed adjacent the opposite ends of the hinge portion attached to said carrier plate; and

said hinge means further including an elongated, substantially cylindrical hinge pin rotatably supported on and extending between said pair of hinge knuckles for pivotally connecting said cover means to said carrier plate, said hinge pin being disposed adjacent and extending longitudinally along the length of said hinge portion and having a plurality of spaced calendar markings thereon and aligned lengthwise thereof, said markings being visible through the openings formed in the hinge portion.

9. The tablet dispenser in accordance with claim 8, wherein said hinge portion attached to said carrier plate is provided with a single row of seven longitudinally spaced openings;

wherein said calendar markings on said hinge pin visible through said openings are seven consecutive days of the week; and

wherein the blisters on said tablet supply element are arranged in rows of seven, each of said rows being parallel with said hinge pin and each blister being in substantial alignment transversely of said hinge pin with one of said openings in the hinge portion. 

